Rabbi’s Reflections – Saturday, April 15, 2023
Shabbat Shalom,
Day 7 of counting the Omer
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, וְצִוָּֽנוּ עַל סְפִירַת הָעֹֽמֶר
Baruch Atah Adonai Elohenu Melech Ha-Olam, Asher Kid’shanu B’mitzvotav, Vitzivanu Al Sefirat Ha-Omer.
Blessed are You O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us by his commandments and commanded us about the counting of the Omer. Today is one weeks and no days of the counting of the Omer.
Follow up that prayer by remembering a blessing from the Lord and give Him thanks.
___
Day 33: Morning
God’s Friend Moses Stirred His Affections
by David Harwood
I recall the first time I heard that God equated His glory with His goodness. It resonated with me. It still does. The fact that He believes His goodness is His glory is, to me, love-provoking.
Here’s the record of Moses’ prayer.
(Moses) said, “Please, show me Your glory!” (Exodus 33:18 TLV)
I think Moses had stored up this desire for years and at this point he could not contain his desire. Personally, my spiritual hunger may very well have been satiated. Think of all he had experienced: God in the fire in the bush speaking to him, miracles, ongoing delivering judgments, the sea splitting, manna and manifestations of God in the pillar of fire and cloud… I could go on. Yet, Moses was still growing in love with God. He was still spiritually hungry.
Let’s review the immediate background to this request.
God summoned Moses into His direct presence. He entered the glory cloud for forty days.
The glory of Adonai settled upon Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. Then on the seventh day He called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. The appearance of the glory of Adonai was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of Bnei-Yisrael. So Moses entered into the midst of the cloud and went up onto the mountain. Moses was on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights. (Exodus 24:16-18 TLV)
This culminated in Moses’ receiving the Ten Commandments, written by God, from the hand of God.
When He had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave the two tablets of the Testimony to Moses—tablets of stone, written by the finger of God. (Exodus 31:18 TLV)
Next? What came next? (God have mercy…) The golden calf, God’s determination to destroy Israel and Moses’ intervening intercession, Moses angrily breaking the tablets on which the Ten Commands were written, judgment on Israel, and Moses’ putting his life on the line in a plea for God to show mercy to Israel. God relented, and said He’d send an angel to help them conquer the land. Then Moses’ ongoing communion with the Lord is described within the context of the manifest presence of God in the tent of meeting.
After all this Moses prayed for greater insight into God’s ways.
Now then, I pray, if I have found grace in Your eyes, show me Your ways, so that I may know You, so that I might find favor in Your sight. Consider also that this nation is Your people. (Exodus 33:13 TLV)
God promised that He would accompany Moses and give him rest. And then Moses begged God for His presence to accompany all of Israel.
But then he said to Him, “If Your presence does not go with me, don’t let us go up from here! For how would it be known that I or your people have found favor in Your sight? Isn’t it because You go with us, that distinguishes us from all the people on the face of the earth?” (Exodus 33:15-16 TLV)
And God said this:
Adonai answered Moses, “I will also do what you have said, for you have found favor in My sight, and I know you by name.” (Exodus 33:17 TLV)
That is when Moses prayed for a revelation of God’s glory.
(Moses) said, “Please, show me Your glory!” (Exodus 33:18 TLV)
Think of all he had experienced. He was still asking for more.
Note that God did not say, “Look at the stars. Look at the mountains. Hear the thunder.” Neither did the Lord say, “Are you kidding? Think of all you’ve experienced!” This was God’s response:
“I will cause all My goodness to pass before you, and call out the Name of Adonai before you. I will be gracious toward whom I will be gracious, and I will show mercy on whom I will be merciful.” (Exodus 33:19 TLV)
Moses had developed a relationship with God through faithful service which ultimately transcended service and turned into friendship. He spoke to God as one friend spoke to another. God’s affections were stirred. Moses’ God was going to reveal what He treasured about Himself.
Pray along these lines:
Glorious Father of our Messiah, Yeshua, as you did with Moses, please look upon me with favor and reveal to me that which would empower me to love You more.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarsson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Day 7 of the Omer
Sat 15 April-2023 24th of Nisan, 5783
Parashat Shmini Day 7 of the Omer
Le 9:24-11:47 2 Sa 6:1-7:17 Heb 7:11-28